Sanderson McCreath & Edney Solicitors have been a part of the historic Quay Walls of Berwick upon Tweed for a very long time. We are a well-known and trusted name within the border town.
We are a small friendly team interested in helping our clients to the full. You can be sure that we will listen, advise and take steps to help you through whatever situation you face and help you to achieve the best possible outcome.
Our number one priority are our clients, we look after them and their affairs to the best practise management standards, as set by the Law Society under their Lexcel framework. This is our assurance to you that we strive to meet high client care and business management standards.
We achieved our Lexcel Accreditation in 2012. We undergo annual independent assessments to demonstrate our commitment and consistent determination to improve overall client satisfaction and assist with our regulatory compliance.
Please see below some information about the people who are here to help & advise you across all areas of the work we carry out:
Gaynor Jones; Senior Director
gj@sm-e.co.uk
Gaynor is the head of our team and has over 30 years’ experience in private client work, specialising in residential, agricultural and commercial property; including estate conveyancing for property developers; civil and commercial litigation, Wills and family (divorce) matters. She is also a qualified family mediator.
After working in legal firms for many years Gaynor gained her law degree at Nottingham Trent University. She then went on to do a post graduate Diploma in Law & Legal Practice at Nottingham Law School and became a qualified Solicitor in 2002. Gaynor joined the firm the same year and became a Partner in 2009.
Mark Pentecost; Director
Mark has nearly 20 years’ experience in employment law, personal injury and litigation having worked for insurance companies before qualifying as a solicitor. Mark now specialises in residential, commercial and agricultural property. Mark has been working in these areas since he qualified and has helped hundreds of individuals and businesses.
Mark also advises businesses on partnership or shareholder agreements, business sales and purchases and succession and heads our employment law department. Mark also assists businesses and individual clients with litigated matters.
Mark qualified as a solicitor in 2014 after successfully completing the CPE/GDL and Legal Practice Course at Northumbria University. He completed his training contract at Sanderson McCreath and Edney. He became a director in 2018. Mark is now also a part time Associate Lecturer in law at Northumbria University.
Mark has previously been a National Committee and Executive Committee member of the Junior Lawyers Division of the Law Society and is currently on the Steering Committee of the Newcastle Law Society.
Linda McGurk; Legal Executive
Linda qualified with the Fellow of Legal Executives in 1998 after doing 4 years training with the Law Firm Latimer Hinks in Darlington. She worked with Latimer Hinks for 15 years before joining our team in 2001.
She has many years’ experience as a Legal Executive offering assistance to clients in the preparation of Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Trusts, Probate and the administration of estates with a particular specialism in high value and complex estates.
Heather Laws; Assistant Solicitor
Heather graduated from York University in 2017 upon completion of her Law degree. She went on to do her Law & Legal Practice post graduate diploma at Northumbria University, at the same time she began work experience with our firm, attending the office one day a week. She began work with us full time in 2018 completing her two years training and went on to qualify in September 2020.
She undertakes a range of matters under the supervision of the directors but wishes to specialise in Family law.
Matthew Hay; Solicitor Apprentice
Matthew is our very first Solicitor Apprentice; beginning the six year course in October 2019.
Matthew has worked in our general office since 2013; gaining six years’ experience and a feel for working in a legal office.
Whilst completing the Apprenticeship course Matthew is gaining hands on experience in managing client files. He is able to advise clients and regularly assists the Directors in property or conveyancing matters. He also manages a number of Wills and Probate files.